Ideas For Early Childhood

Spring and summer are a great time to include a preschool lesson plan on bugs. A fun insect to focus on is the ladybug with its bright red back and black spots. Whether for a day or longer, children enjoy themes when the entire curriculum revolves around one topic. More importantly, this focused attention on one topic within each area of a preschool curriculum provides learning opportunities for every child. The following article provides some ideas for preschool activities to include into a ladybug theme for any early childhood setting.

Fun Facts about Ladybugs

Circle time is a perfect place to provide some simple facts about the preschool program's theme with or without a book. Sometimes a teacher may ask the children what they know about the theme and record their answers down. The early childhood provider can then fill in the information that may have not been mentioned. This process of group learning honours the children for their input, ideas and knowledge. Some fun ladybug facts to share with the children are:

ladybugs are beetles
ladybugs can also be orange and yellow and some have no spots
there are many different species
they live all around the world
the spots fade as they get older
ladybugs can lay up to 1000 eggs in a lifetime
the hard cover protects the delicate wings
the bright color of the ladybug warns birds to not eat them
ladybugs are popular with gardeners for they eats aphids, pests in the garden.

Ladybug Preschool Craft Ideas

By clicking on each suggestion, you will directed to the blog for more information

From No Time for Flash Cards

From Projects for Preschoolers

Special Note:

The great thing about a ladybug theme for an arts and crafts project, is that the children can be left to create through their own process. With the colors red, and black and dots, all versions of ladybugs will be formed. I love this one I found online...

From Our Crafts N Things

Math Activity for a Ladybug Theme

From the Measured Mom

The following song can be sung with ladybug and numbers correlating to the amount of dots on the ladybug:

To the tune of "Do You Know the Muffin Man?"

This ladybug has three black spots, three black spots, three black spots.

This ladybug has three black spots, what a lovely sight!

Sensory Table Activity

There are many ways to include ladybugs into a preschool curriculum. For instance, turn a sensory table into an area for plastic ladybugs to roam. The children will enjoy dramatically playing with the ladybugs while having a sensory experience. The table can be filled with sand, plastic leaves, real wood and sticks and small rocks. Then, plastic ladybugs can be placed inside this setting. If plastic ladybugs are difficult to find at local stores, try using permanent felt pens or paint and decorating small rocks as ladybugs.

Some Final Ideas for a Ladybug Theme

Play pin the dots on the ladybug and other ladybug games
Hunt for real ladybugs
Face paint ladybugs onto cheeks
Read the Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle
Decorate cookies with red icing and chocolate chips
Felt Story: Five Little Ladybugs

Further Reading Suggestions:

Spring Felt Board Activities

Early Childhood Online Workshops

Healthy Alternatives to Filling the Easter Basket

Filling plastic eggs with items, such us puzzle pieces, letters to create a message, or clues for a tresure hunt are all great ideas for turning the Easter Egg into a fun, and sugar-free, event. The following list provides some more ideas and many of these can be found by birthday locations in dollar stores: